Local SEO for childcare centres: a step-by-step guide

When a parent searches "childcare near me" or "childcare [your suburb]", Google decides which centres appear in the map results. Google says local results are based on:

• Relevance: how well your Business Profile matches what the parent searched for.
• Distance: how far your centre is from the parent, or from the suburb they searched.
• Prominence: how well known your centre is, including reviews, ratings and mentions across the web.

Distance is fixed. Everything below is about relevance and prominence, and about turning the visit into an enquiry once a parent finds you. If you'd rather have this done for you, see our childcare SEO service.

1. Claim and verify your Google Business Profile

Your Business Profile is the listing parents see in Google Maps and search. Claim it and verify it, because Google says verified businesses are more likely to show in local results. If you run several centres, each one needs its own profile with its own address. Google's guidelines say not to create more than one profile per location.

2. Get the name, address and category right

• Name: use your centre's real name exactly as it appears on your signage. Google's guidelines don't allow extra words such as "Best Childcare Ringwood" in the business name.
• Address and phone: use the same address and local phone number on your profile, website, Facebook page and directories.
• Category: choose the most specific category that describes what your centre is, and keep the list short. Google's own test is to pick categories that complete the sentence "This business IS a...". Don't add categories just as keywords.

3. Fill in every detail parents look for

Opening hours, ages you take, services such as kindergarten or before and after school care, accessibility, and a short description in plain English. Add recent photos of your rooms, outdoor areas and entrance. Only post photos of children with the family's written consent and in line with your photo policy. Our guide to childcare photos and AI covers what to check.

4. Build a steady flow of honest reviews

Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking, and that replying to reviews shows you value feedback. Ask every family the same way, never offer a reward, and reply to every review within a couple of business days. Our guide to responding to negative reviews at your childcare centre covers how.

5. Give every centre its own page on your website

Your Business Profile should link to a page about that centre, not just your home page. Each centre page should include:

• the suburb and nearby suburbs families come from, written naturally
• the full address, phone number and opening hours, matching your profile exactly
• the ages and rooms, with real photos
• fees or an estimate of the gap fee, for example through a CCS gap fee calculator
• a clear way to book a tour
• an embedded Google map

Ask your web developer to add ChildCare structured data to each centre page, with the same name, address and phone number. It helps search engines and AI tools read your details correctly. Our article on turning your childcare website into tour bookings covers the rest of the page.

6. Keep your Starting Blocks listing accurate

StartingBlocks.gov.au is the Australian Government's site where parents can find and compare childcare services. ACECQA says fee and vacancy information on Starting Blocks comes from what your service enters in the CCS Provider Entry Point, either directly or through your software. Check your fees and vacancies are current, because a parent who sees out-of-date fees may rule you out before they visit your website.

7. Earn local links and mentions

Links from local, relevant websites help show Google that your centre is part of the community. Good sources include:

• your local council's family services or business directory
• nearby primary schools you have transition programs with
• local playgroups, sporting clubs and community groups you support
• local news stories about your centre's events or community work

Ask only for links that make sense to a parent. Paid link schemes are not worth the risk.

8. Measure enquiries, not rankings

Your Business Profile shows how many people called, asked for directions or clicked through to your website. Track those alongside your enquiries, tours and enrolments each month. A higher ranking that doesn't bring more tours is not a win. Our article on childcare ads that lead to enrolments explains how to track from first click to enrolled child, and the same approach works for search.

Local SEO builds a presence that keeps working without ad spend, but it takes months. Google Ads put your centre at the top of search results straight away, while you pay. Most centres with empty places need both: ads to fill places now and local SEO to reduce how much you rely on ads over time. See our Google and Meta ads service for the paid side.

Being found is only the first step. The enquiry still has to turn into a tour and an enrolment. In one Melbourne long day care centre, 28 enquiries over four months led to 20 booked tours, and reported occupancy moved from 71% to 84% with consistent follow-up and tours.

To see where your centre is losing families, from search to signed enrolment form, take the free Occupancy Health Audit.

What is local SEO for a childcare centre?

Local SEO is the work that helps your centre appear when nearby parents search Google for childcare, especially in the map results. It covers your Google Business Profile, your reviews, a website page for each centre, your Starting Blocks listing and links from local websites.

How long does local SEO take for a childcare centre?

Usually months rather than weeks. Fixing your Business Profile details can help quickly, but building reviews, centre pages and local links is ongoing work. Track calls, direction requests, website visits, enquiries and tours each month to see whether it is working.

Does each childcare centre need its own Google Business Profile?

Yes, if each centre has its own address and staff. Google's guidelines allow one profile per location and say not to create more than one profile for the same location. Link each profile to that centre's own page on your website.

Should I put my suburb in my Google Business Profile name?

Only if the suburb is part of your centre's real name, as it appears on your signage. Google's guidelines don't allow extra keywords in the business name, and breaking that rule can get a profile suspended. Use your description, website page and reviews to show where you are.